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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Review: "7 Best Practices for Teaching Teenagers the Bible"

Andy Blanks and Youth Ministry 360 have recently released the
first of two books, The 7 Best Practices
for Teaching Teenager the Bible. This
book is as the title says “practical”, but it is also so much more. If you are
just with in the first couple years of youth ministry, this book is teaching “basic
training” in paper form. I would
strongly encourage you to pick it up. Those of you, who like myself have been
teaching students for years, this book bring is back home. It is a refreshing
reminder of why we do what we do with a helpful little slap in the face about
what we may not have been doing.

Each chapter addresses one of the 7 practices of teaching,
starting off by making it personal with “Engaging God”. Beginning this way sets the tone for the book
immediately, as it not only concentrates on teaching methodology but also about
the importance of our personal relationship with God as we teach. The central 5
practices at the core of the book are encouraging preparation, understanding of
context, pushing for unpredictability, interaction, and application. The final practice wraps it back around to
making it personal with “Know Your Role”.
A section that really focus it
back in our who God has personally called us to be.

The book is a rich resource that is not only written from a
ministry perspective but also brings in useful educational pedagogy as well, as
it details the 3 main learning styles, differentiated instruction, and curriculum. Overall the book is outstanding and so well
thought through. The only area that I
wish would have been addressed more is as the book put it “from scratch’ lesson
preparation. It is easy to read and as
mentioned above, a valuable book for both rookies and veterans youth workers,
or honestly anyone that is teaching teenagers.